Correcting mis-set LTG equipment (Sam Houston State vs Mont State)
 

Situation:
3rd quarter, about 10 minutes. Montana State is driving and gets a first down at about the Houston 16. In the subsequent play, defensive holding is called and enforced half the distance, to the 8 yard line, but the LTG is reset on the sideline, and the TV crew even puts "1st & Goal" on the screen. The subsequent play gains about 3-4 yards, beyond the "correct" LTG. After this play, the officials conference and the Referee announces that the foul was not an automatic first down and that the result of the play would have resulted in A reaching the correct LTG, therefore the succeeding play would be 1st & Goal. MSU then scored on the 1st & Goal play.

My question:
Is this the proper way to handle (in the various levels) the discovery of an error in the LTG equipment? When is it too late to correct the LTG equipment?

Looked at legalistically, AFAICT from NCAA rules, the line-to-gain is a matter of fact, regardless of what the marker, even an official one, says. Going by that, it's not too late to correct an error in placement of the marker until the actual line-to-gain changes.

Not 100% sure on NCAA but the only error correcting rule I recall is for timing. An incorrect down can be corrected any time in the series.

I'm not sure your game scenario was that big of an issue. With 1st & 10 for A at B 16 yl, the next play with the defensive holding enforced should be 1st & 2 from B8. On this play you state they gain 3-4 yards and now have 1st and goal.

What they had was more of a misstatement of facts than an error. The situation corrected itself actually.

I wish someone would tell that particular WH that he doesn't need to yelll into the mic.

Presumably the beef is that someone would've played differently had they known it was 1st & 2. I strongly doubt it'd've made any diff, but you never know.

The B coach was raising a stink, but I think it was more because he noticed that A was going to get "another" first down. And he was getting rolled over on that drive.
I was mostly interested in how the rules treat the LTG equipment with respect to correctability. Considering how the WH handled it, and there was no serious anger regarding it, I figured that it was done properly.